There is an apparent contradiction in the following statements. Someone please point of which of them is incorrect.
1. Sea ice is melting because of global warming.
2. When in water, ice floats and displaces an amount of water weighing the same as the weight of the ice.
3. When ice freezes, it expands.
4. When ice melts, it contracts.
5. When ice floating in water melts, the sea does not change.
6. Icebergs melting will cause water to rise all around the world.
Zuh? Doesn't this mean the only rise in sea levels attributed to global warming can come from ice melting that is on land?
2007-09-21 09:11:55 · 6 answers · asked by Biggg 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
All but # 6 are essentially correct (but some are poorly worded). For example, 3 and 4 are technically meaningless, but only because of their wording.
Ice doesn't expand when it freezes, because it isn't ice until after it freezes - and the expansion and freezing occur simultaneously. Conversely, ice doesn't contract when it melts, because the contracted and melted stuff isn't ice any more. But both statements are essentially correct when referring to the H2O that the stuff is composed of.
#6 is wrong, because #2 and #5 are correct - and icebergs are floating ice. But melting all the icebergs WILL coincide with elevated worldwide sea levels. Because all the rest of the world's ice isn't floating. And also because increased temperatures will cause the sea water itself to expand, too.
2007-09-21 10:59:43 · answer #1 · answered by skeptik 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Statement 6 is incorrect, because statement 5 is correct (if it refers to sea level). Ice melting in water will not change the water level. For proof of this, put ice in a glass, then fill it with water all the way to the top. Eventually the ice will melt, but the water will not overflow the glass. (You may see some water on the side of the glass due to condensation)
Statement 1 is debatable.
Statement 4 is incorrect in that the remaining ice that has not melted does not contract (Yes, the cube is smaller, but not due to contraction, but simply loss of ice).
2007-09-21 09:49:53 · answer #2 · answered by cyswxman 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sea level rise primarily comes from two things associated with global warming: (1) melting of ice on land, (2) expansion of water as it warms. Melting of icebergs floating in the sea has little effect.
And to Boycie, who thinks that the change in carbon dioxide is small. You are looking at it the wrong way, by your way of looking at the change, even if the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere DOUBLED it would still be a small (only 0.29% you would say!) but because carbon dioxide is such a potent greenhouse gas it would have a huge effect on the radiative equilibrium of the earth.
2007-09-21 11:38:24 · answer #3 · answered by pegminer 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The incorrect statements are 2 and 5. Water actually ahs a greater density then ice so when the ice melts it places an amount of water in that is more than the weight of ice. The sea does change but its increases can only be viewed on land masses by measuring from the land up. An carbon dioxide has increased from 220 ppm in the last ice age to 340 ppm today.
2007-09-21 09:34:19 · answer #4 · answered by Mike B 2 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Yes. But remember, the southern Ice cap is Predominately on land. so ice melting there WILL affect the sea level.
2007-09-21 09:21:11 · answer #5 · answered by Darkwolf 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
A, i think. carbon dioxide emissions have only increased by 0.06% from 0.29 to 0.35%, very little!
2007-09-21 09:19:09 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋